What to Know
The stereotypes of little boys and little girls are alive and well despite plenty of efforts from parents who are trying hard to dispel dated ideas about who kids are, how they play, and what they play with. To some, little girls are sweet, they play well together, and they have calm playtime sessions with friends and alone. Boys, on the other hand, are expected to be wild, rough house, and love anything superhero or monster truck-related. Because no one can just be themselves, apparently.
A mom on TikTok showed the difference between her own kids during their playtime, and started a conversation in her comments about ‘boy moms‘ and ‘girl moms.’ Parents who label themselves as one or the other tend to display a certain energy as they keep their kids in a certain box. So fun, right? Other parents commented to drive home the idea that these stereotypes do not have to be a thing.
@robi.weaver Thankful to be both ❤️🦸🏻♂️🎀✨ #momlife #boymom #girlmom #motherhood #sahm ♬ original sound – Taylor Quitara
“Boy moms“ and “girl moms” have different ideas of how kids act.
The mom who posted the TikTok, Robi Weaver, shows her two songs playing in their room while dressed as superheroes. They wrestle after one jumps off the top bed of their bunkbed. By contrast, Robi’s daughter plays quietly alone in her room, with her baby doll and accessories. The music that plays in the background is chaotic when the camera is focused on the boys, and then calm when it pans to Robi’s daughter.
One mom commented, “The boy mom life is LIT!!!” Someone else wrote, “I was both. just depended on the time of day.”
To that, Robi replied that her daughter is too. It just so happens that she caught her in a more idyllic mood in this particular video to show the juxtaposition of her kids. And OK, I do get it. Then again, my daughter, as the second child, is much more wild and chaotic than her older brother, who now expects no one to touch any of his assembled LEGO sets. Like, ever.
Other parents who commented on the video who are “boy moms” or “boy dads” wrote that they wanted to see more of the little boys’ wrestling match rather than what the little girl is up to.
Someone who isn’t even a parent wrote, “My dream is to be a boy mom.” “I have a girl that acts like your boys,” another user commented on the video.
Overall, “girl mom” energy tends to lean toward the fluffy and pink side of things automatically. “Boy mom” energy is all about being tough and a little rough around the edges. When it comes down to it though, plenty of parents shared in the comments that they can see both sides of a child in any gender. Still, tell that to the ever proud “boy moms” of the world.
